Hippolyte flandrin napoleon iii wikipedia english

Paul flandrin

From an early age, Flandrin showed interest in the arts and a career as a painter. He was the second of three sons, all of whom were painters. Paul , his younger brother, was a painter of portraits and religious imagery. Hippolyte and Paul spent some time at Lyon, saving to leave for Paris in and study under Louis Hersent. Eventually, they settled in the studio of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres , who became not only their instructor but their friend for life.

This prestigious art scholarship meant that he was no longer limited by his poverty. The Prix de Rome allowed him to study for five years in Rome. While there, he created several paintings, increasing his celebrity both in France and Italy. His painting St. Clair Healing the Blind was created for the Nantes Cathedral , and years later, it also brought him a medal of the first class at the exhibition of ; this painting was destroyed in the fire which took place at Nantes Cathedral on 18 July As a result, his reputation became even more impressive, virtually guaranteeing him continuous employment for the rest of his life.

In addition to these works, Flandrin also painted a great number of portraits, including Portrait of Napoleon III , who was not very well received by the sitter. However, he is much more known today for his monumental decorative paintings. The most notable of these are found in the following locations:. Their son Paul Hippolyte Flandrin — became a painter of sacred art, portraitist and decorator.

In , Flandrin's failing health, made worse by his hard work and extended exposure to the damp and draughts of churches, induced him to visit Italy again, where he died of smallpox in Rome on 21 March